Car winner announced in Pratt contest

Fran Brownell

Sunday

Mar 31, 2019 at 12:00 AM

Kingman resident Amber Zwierzychowski is the winner of a charity raffle drawing that resulted in her taking ownership this week of a 2018 Buick Enclave donated by Doug Reh Chevrolet.The vehicle was the grand prize of a raffle held to benefit Youth Core Ministries, Alzhemeirs Association and Cancer Research Center.Reh said a total of 1,445 tickets were purchased in Pratt and surrounding areas for the raffle, priced at $25 each or three for $115, The amount received by each charity has not yet been finalized.Zwierzychowski, a special education teacher at Chaparral High School in Anthony, said she bought five tickets for $115 last September because the fundraiser included support for Youth Core Ministries, an organization near and dear to her heart. “I follow Youth Core Ministries on Facebook, as I have two former students who are very involved in their ministry and I believe strongly in their mission,” Zwierzychowski said. “I thought since my husband’s vehicle needed to be replaced I would surprise him with the new vehicle if by some miracle I won,” Zwierzychowski said, keeping it a secret from her husband Robert.In the meantime, the couple learned from a friend about a one-owner pickup with low mileage and made the purchase. She said she thought off-and-on of the raffle, but didn’t remember the date of the drawing.Last December 29th Zwierzychowski was on the phone chatting with her Mom when a number from Pratt buzzed in. She wasn’t sure who it could be but wondered if it might be one of the South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative staff trying to reach her, so she said a quick goodbye to her Mom and checked her voicemail.“Hi Amber, this is Doug Reh, we are doing the drawing for Youth Core Ministries and you have won!” was the message she heard.“My heart started pounding, my mind racing and I told my husband, ‘I think I just won a car,’” Zwierzychowski said. “Given that I hadn’t told him about the drawing because it was intended to be a surprise, my husband was skeptical.”I got on the phone with Doug and told him what a blessing it was to our family and that I was so thankful that he had donated the vehicle for Youth Core’s fundraiser, as I have a heart for their ministry,” Zwierzychowski said.As the winner, Zwierzychowski said she learned that taking ownership of a vehicle was a long process.“There’s lots of paperwork involved,” she said.While the paperwork mill was grinding away, Zwierzychowski and her family made several trips to Pratt trying to decide what vehicle would suit the family best, as they had their choice of any car on the lot up to a sticker price of $60,000.Steve Lunsford of the Doug Reh sales staff was her go-to guy in helping the family make the choice.Though it took more than three months for the vehcile award to be made official, Zwierzychowski said it was worth the wait.“It’s a huge blessing,” she said. “I’m super-excited,” Zwierzychowski said. “I absolutely love the color.”Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for the Enclave was $46,326, Lunsford said.